


Merc/Aayla: The Beast Must Die!

by lordhadrian



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, F/M, Gen, Jedi, Monsters, Rakghouls, Star Wars References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-05-16 16:37:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5832865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordhadrian/pseuds/lordhadrian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An eccentric wealthy hunter invites several guests to his isolated mansion on the dangerously forested world of Fomor for a dangerous game of revenge.  Guests include a Mandolorian Mercenary with no name and Jedi Knight Aayla Secura.</p><p>The dinner turns sour when the Hunter announces one of the guests is really a Monster in disguise and intends to hunt them down in the dark orest.</p><p>Someone is not who they seem.  But who is the Beast!??</p><p>Story is inspired by the 1974 Peter Cushing film of the same name "The Beast Must Die".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Merc/Aayla: The Beast Must Die!

Merc/Aayla: The Beast Must DIE!!

He was the Mercenary with no name. At least, no one ever knew his real name. Except for one man. The man who invited him to a mysterious dinner. The Mercenary with no name was a Bounty Hunter from Mandolore, a simple man making his way through the galaxy. He never stayed long when he appeared, and hardly spoke. He was fast and deadly, however. He was focused when he was on the job.

Maximillian Skarro was wealthy beyond the dreams of avarice. He owned a whole planet dedicated to big game hunting. And he hunted almost any and every animal in the known galaxy on this world. Skarro had arranged a most unusual and interesting event, inviting the nameless Merc to a grand dinner. The Merc's shuttle zoomed past the golden moon that orbited Planet Fomor, the exotic forest world where Skarro lived as a recluse.

How he found the Merc and enticed him would remain a mystery shrouded in legend. The Mercenary was cautious, safeguarding his ship and prepping himself physically and mentally for this encounter. Because he made it a rule to never trust anyone especially the people hiring him.

The Merc had been double crossed only a couple times early in his career. He was a fast learner, and if he walked away from a Bounty with anything, it was with the knowledge that everyone was ready to stab you in the back. He made his reputation with enough ruthlessness that only serious clients hired him. Give him the target, pay him when he succeeds. It was as simple as that.

What made this occasion doubly suspicious was that no one ever invited him to a party. No one socialized with the nameless hunter. But the invitation came, a journey to adventure on planet Fomor. He landed his ship on an elegant landing pad near a vast estate. The Mansion was impeccable, very Byzantine in its design. Droid servants showed him every courtesy, and escorted him to his suite to prepare for the meal. The Estate was surrounded by a high tech fence for protection from the natural Fomor wildlife. The Merc soon became familiar with the other guests of Skarro's dinner party as he entered the dining area in the early evening.

There was Miko Zee, a Rodian adventurer who has explored many archeological sites on many planets. She has found many treasures and relics that have been put on display in many galactic museums.

The Merc smiled as he grabbed a drink off one of the trays carried by droid servants and nodded to Zot Sinen, and popular pilot who has worked with many experimental aircraft, earning accolades with many cultures for his daring feats as a flyer.

Aayla Secura of the Jedi sat down with a modest plate of small snacks, also observing the guests. Such a Jedi of reknown held the Merc's eye for more than a few seconds. She was polite but did not talk much.

Baron Aldo Napes was a Zabrak pirate hunter, securing the system of Troxar for his family from a variety of bandits and Black Sun goons. He has such a huge bounty on his head, he rarely ever leaves his mansion. Coming here must have intrigued him greatly.

"Come along, Beba-1" The older man sipped his drink.

"Yes sir!" Beeped the little droid

General Garuda tipped his hat to the Merc, but also lazily paid a lot of attention to his strong drink. He wore a flamboyant hat and thick coat, with a moustache that covered his ever probing eyes that observed the party. The General had a droid companion, Beba-1. He was more of a Philosopher warrior than a fighter directly involved in any conflict. Rumour had it he opted to stay out of the Clone War because he felt washed up, old. Old was certainly a dirty word, but his reputation was solid. If he were to rejoin the Republic, the Merc had no doubt he would be formidable. His droid was, much to the Merc's dismay, cute. Just a short manservant that followed Garuda, tending to the old, bushy-moustached man's needs.

Finally, there was an Ugnaught. A wealthy but grumpy ugnaught named Aurelian Bach. He was rather pompous and sneered a lot. He was very refined for an Ugnaught, wearing a blue tunic with silver lining. Bach drank down his wine as he watched the others. Despite his refinement when speaking, he ate the finger sized snack foods like a complete animal.

The Jedi took a drink from the droid and approached the Merc. "You're a long way from home, Mandolorian." She was polite, and said the comment more out of curiosity than anything.

The Merc raised his glass to her and gave a small shrug. "So are you, Jedi. One would think you were off fighting the Separatists, rather than enjoying some mysterious dinner party in the middle of nowhere" He smiled a little.

Aayla smiled back, also shrugging. "This host, Skarro, he contacted the Jedi council, claiming some important agenda that would help them in the war effort. It was odd that he suggested my presence. The Jedi Council suspected a trap at worst, but we reasoned this was worth the risk."

"It is, INDEED, worth the risk Jedi Knight!" A man from the shadows finally interrupted what little small talk there was. It was Maximillian Skarro. He sat at the head of the grand dinner table, where the finest food was now being served by very shiny droids. "Come, let us celebrate life....."

The other guests, having wondered about the bizarre invite, sat with their host. Skarro was dressed in fine clothing of an extremely wealthy man, and had provided equally fine clothes for most of the guests. Aayla had refrained from such luxuries, preferring her modest robe and tunic. The Merc, who still had never given anyone a name, also preferred to remain professional in his armor. Though he had taken time in his guest suite to freshen up for the evening's dinner, his armor sill looked rugged. His very image was enough to suggest that he was not a man to be trifled upon. Though he looked intimidating in that regard, he held a smile and was rather relaxed in the presence of the others.

Dinner was splendid, and each guest was catered to for any specific dishes. There was classic music from a variety of cultures that played through the dinner. Rare pieces that Maximillian collected in his many travels. The Merc was impressed to even hear some Clan battle hymns played by a chorus.

"The singers are from Coruscant" Maximillian smiled as he noticed the merc stop to listen. "Yes, that is a song from Clan Skirata. I acquired the music through great personal; risk in a duel, then I made recordings with a chorus group from the capital. I have songs from many of the clans."

"A good song cannot be fully appreciated unless it is sung by original Mandolorian voices, because when we sing we mean it." The Merc countered politely.

Maximillian nodded politely, but his expression turned slightly sour, as he prepared to address his guests on the true purpose of the dinner invitation. "Ladies and gentlemen, you no doubt are wondering why you have all been invited here tonight. It is with a heavy heart I have given you this lavish banquet, for my motives are steeped in tragedy. Tonite, one of you....will die."

Everyone stared at him, and by the tone in his voice and the deadly gaze of his eyes, it was no joke. Maximillian Skarro intended to kill before the dawn of a new day on Fomor.

"My wife, Esper Skarro, was a beautiful light in my life, and my passion, my muse. She lit up my soul in ways that no item of wealth could, and no amount of money could replace....." Max paced slowly about the room, staring at each person. "During the Festival of Xur, she was killed by a horrible beast...."

Everyone starts to get uncomfortable at the mention of the "Festival of Xur", as if they were familiar with the event.

"Ah....now I see clarity in your eyes. Now you understand my purpose for inviting you all here. All of you were at the festival, all within proximity of the murder....."

 

"I know what you are getting at, and I find it ridiculous!" Miko stood up in shock. The others sat in apprehension.

"ONE OF YOU IS NOT WHO THEY SEEM TO BE!!" Maximillian exclaimed "One of you killed my wife!! I will discover who the Monster is, and I will exact my justice!"

"Look out, sir!" Beba-1 panicked, standing in front of his tall Master.

"Stay calm, Beba" Garuda waved his hand calmly "Everything's okay. I think our host has overstepped the bounds of decency!"

Aayla stood up and started to walk away "This dinner is over, and I am leaving!" The Merc stood up and started walking too. He was not one to play games with eccentric killers. These shinanigans were going to end.

Maximillian held up a remote and pressed a button. The estate shook with an explosion that alarmed everyone with its closeness. "Your ships have all been destroyed! NO ONE is leaving!" Skarro was deadly serious.

"Okay....whatever." The Merc sighed. Tonight had become exceedingly complicated. He had to surrender to the reality of being trapped on a dangerous world by Skarro.

Zot Sinen approached the wealthy madman with his salad fork, though any notion of comedy at seeing this was lost. "You're crazy! I didn't even KNOW your wife! I would have no reason to kill her!"

"He's right!" Auelian Bach grunted "You have no right to detain us! Maybe we all were at the festival, but we have never met, we have no motive for the death of your wife. Tragic, though it is, we have no connection to this crime!"

Skarro smiled, a little unhinged "One of you is a creature, a cold blooded predator! A beast that transforms, and hunts its prey. A Rakghoul! My wife was killed by the Beast who transforms, killed that very night! I have researched and reviewed every last piece of evidence, and the beast can only be.....one of you...."

"Lord Skarro!" Aayla grimaced as she faced him without batting an eye "I sympathize for your loss. I would even help you to seek justice, but you cannot imprison us against our will! I was there at the festival on business of meeting with allies in the war against the Separatists. I do not know your wife, and I have never killed a civilian. I am a Jedi. I do not....transform....This course of action is illogical!"

"I have heard of Rakghouls!" Garuda exclaimed "True, they were once living beings transformed into monsters, but....we are not Rakghouls! This is madness!"

Aurelian snouted his concurred agreement with the old General "Yes! You must let go of this obsession! The Rakghoul that killed your wife cannot possibly be here...."

The others voiced their rapidly united concern, and demanded to be released from this perverted sense of justice.

The Merc stayed quiet and listened, but his hands hovered near his weapons, ready in a blink for a massacre, even to duel with the angelic blue Jedi if needed.

Maximillian's zeal did not diminish. "The rakghoul is here, and is capable of disuising itself in its previous form. It is an intelligent and evolved creature. I delight in this, for I not only seek revenge, but the thrill of the hunt!"

The lights went. The panic and surprise was short lived. Aayla turned on her light saber to be a light source. Maximillin Skarro was gone. Vanished. But his voice was heard. "When I have found the Rakghoul beast, I will hunt it down! Then you will all be free to leave. I will signal a transport that is waiting on the darkside of the moon to take you home. But, for now....I will find the killer!"

"You don't frighten me, Skarro!" The Merc snipped with contempt. "I'll find YOU, and feed your fingers to you when I'm finished. You have a satellite with a signal to communicate with that shuttle. I will find it, set up a com link, and we will leave in under an hour!"

Skarro laughed "I have not underestimated you, Mandolorian! I am actually anticipating you will bring a little excitement to this hunt! You are right, though. There IS a satellite to contact the shuttle.....but it is 5 kliks west of the manor, in the deep forest. I must warn you, though, the woods of this planet are occupied by some of the most vicious animals alive. I have personally bred several species and had them transported here for my hunting pleasure. It may not take long to find the Rakghoul, since the beast will transform under the rays of the moon. The full moon will appear in about an hour, and its glow will cause the Rakghoul to revert to its new form. Its hunger will be voracious, and its bite.....lethal if your lucky. The unlucky ones....well....they will become Rakghouls.....and I will hunt them as well!"

The guests looked at each other with trepidation, and paranoia could be seen in their eyes.

"This is murder, skarro!" Aayla pleaded with the eccentric millionaire to see reason "Maybe one of us IS a rakghoul, but the others are innocent! Or maybe you just love hunting people for your perverse pleasure. Skarro....if it is a hunt you want, then hunt me. Let the others go.....I will meet your challenge and it will be between just you and me."

The Merc turned to her "You don't have to play his game!"

Skarro chuckled as she stood defiantly. "The Jedi....so noble, so selfless....that you would sacrifice your life for others. A pity I would ever scar such an angel face-"

"-Do not flatter me, Lord Skarro. I am not a waif for compliments. I am a Jedi Knight, and I would advise you not to underestimate me!" Aayla stood firm.

There was a pause. Skarro's voice was less pleasant. "So be it....Jedi."

"What do we do now!?" Miko asked frantically. The others looked at Aayla and the Merc. Both had taken the forefront with their assertive presence.

Aldo Napes looked out a window "I suggest we all make our way through the forest, get to the satellite, and call down the shuttle. Skarro is one man, we are more than capable."

"Don't ever underestimate the opponent" General Garuda took another gentle drink, savoring his alien brandy in case it would be his last.

"Well, what ARE WE GOING TO DO!? I don't want to die here!" Zot began to lose his cool, but was quickly reigned in by Garuda and Miko Zee.

"Everyone stay calm!" The Merc ordered "We are going to walk out of here, go to the satellite relay and call down the shuttle for evac. We are getting off this planet!" The guests followed Aayla and the Merc, who methodically went from room to room with his pistols drawn, while Aayla had her light saber up and ready.

The tension was thick, though there was no sign of Skarro the Hunter. "He's watching us" The Merc whispered to Aayla "But if you and I keep our senses perked up, he cannot surprise us."

"Agreed" she nodded. She used her senses and her trust in the Force, while the Merc had his acute ears and helmet sensors sweep the area.

They quietly went down the stairs, leading the group. The others stayed silent, but were visibly shaken. Two droid servants popped up to confront them. The Merc and Aayla blasted them away in a controlled, trained reaction.

"A bit extreme, eh?" Miko gasped.

"Quiet! We are all being hunted by a deranged lunatic. Trust nothing! AND DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING!" The Merc stressed.

Zot began to panic "I shouldn't even be here! What are we doing? Why don't some of us just stay here! I'M NOT A RAKGHOUL!"

"Shut up!" The merc became exasperated.

"Stay frosty, Mr Sinen! You need to shut your mouth!" Aldo tried to also calm him down.

"But I'm not a rakghoul! If we just wait, the real rakghoul will appear and we can kill him and go home!"

"Shut up!" Aayla became exasperated as she saw more droids approaching. She sliced through them instinctively as the Merc ushered everyone to the front door. Garuda and Beba-1 were the last to exit the mansion. The group was now out in the garden of the luxurious estate. The gate was straight ahead. As they moved, a laser shot bounced into the ground next to them. They looked up in dismay. Skarro was aiming a sniper rifle at them, laughing. It was a free shot. He missed on purpose.

"That maniac!" Aurelian sqealed "I can't believe I am playing this stupid game!" the Ugnaught cursed angrily.

"HE'S GOING TO KILL US!!" Zot Began to lose all rationality and broke out into a run. He burst through the front gate, but Skarro was good. With patience and shallow breathing, the Hunter quickly took aim and winged the pilot. Zot was shot in the arm.

"Are you okay, Zot!" The Merc tried to reach out to him, ready to bandage the wound "Let me-"

Wounded and completely out of his mind, Zot started weezing and screaming in total madness as he ran into the thickness of the forest ahead of the group.

"Okay....whatever..." The Merc watched the terrified man run off. He was not uncaring as he was simply resigned to the fact that Zot could no longer be helped in his current state.

 

 

"Zot! COME BACK!" Aayla called out. But she did not go after him.

"Isn't anyone going to go after Zot!?" Miko started to panic. Everyone looked at the Rodian with remorse except the Merc.

"We stick together." The Merc replied with grim determination. The group moved fast. The Merc had turned to face Skarro with his pistols, but Maximillian Skarro had gone. His laugh could be heard in the night as the full moon was ready to present itself in the night sky.

"We'll never make it!" Garuda mumbled as they walked fast past the gate and into the darkness "We still have a very important issue to resolve...."

Aayla looked at Garuda and nodded, understanding. They could not slow down for discussions, but the notion of a Rakghoul had to be addressed. She turned to the Merc "He's right, you know" she whispered.

"Skarro could be bluffing." He replied, looking straight ahead.

Their thoughts were interrupted by animal noises and a scream. "That sounded like Zot!" Aldo clutched his weapon close. He was grateful that Skarro had allowed them to keep their weapons, but for a brief second wondered why the Hunter would allow such an advantage.

The group moved fast as they heard what was left of Zot Sinen being torn apart by hungry things in the night.

Miko stayed close to Aayla "You can get us out of here, right!?" The Merc wanted to staple her mouth shut, but Aayla was the more gentle with her response.

"I will not let any of you come to harm, but you must be quiet." But it was hard, even for rugged men like Garuda and Aldo, to not be unnerved by Zot's distant screams of agony as he was torn apart. Aldo in particular started to lose any machismo he may have bragged about as a hunter from his Troxxan home world. The Merc steeled himself with each scream. He was experienced, had been in some fights, even a few battles connected to the war. But there was a difference between the glory of Honorable combat and the unending suffering of another being that was lost and dying.

A shot rang out. Skarro was now somewhere in the deep forest, tracking them. His shot had killed the beast attacking Zot Sinen. A second shot ended Zot's pain in the far away darkness.

"It seems Zot Sinen is innocent after all. But one of you will be revealed soon!" Maximillian shouted. Aurelian grunted in anger, Aldo nervously eyed everyone in the group. Garuda, strangely, looked as if he didn't care

"You're taking this rather well, General!" Aldo reeked of a moment's contempt.

"Death and I are old friends." The General shrugged as Beba-1 hobbled to keep up with the others.

They moved through the woods, the Merc darting his sight ahead and behind them. Aurelian growled. He was getting hungry and irritable. The Merc noticed Miko was becoming extremely fatigued from the stress. Aldo was doing his best under pressure, but was used to being a hunter, not the hunted

More sniper shots harassed them as they continued deeper into the wooded path, and the Merc had to make a decision. "Jedi" He whispered "Take the others, go straight that way. If Skarro was telling us the truth, the satellite should be just a couple kliks ahead. Keep going..."

She looked at him with concern, but he waved it off "No, I'm not playing the hero, and I'm certain I am not the Rakghoul. But I need to distract him before anyone else gets killed! I will track him down and neutralize thatbastard! I will return as soon as I can...."

The Merc jumped into the foilage before she could respond.

"Where is he going!?" Aldo freaked out. "He should stay here and protect us!!"

"Keep going, we must get to the satellite comlink." She reasoned

"What if he intends to use us as bait!?" Miko started to get more jittery.

"I need to eat something....I feel weak" Aurelian was becoming irrational in his panic

Garuda and Beba got next to Aayla and pointed a gun at the group "Calm down! The Mandolorian knows what he is doing! You want to make it out alive? Then shut up and follow the Jedi!"

For a moment, Aayla had her hand on her saber, ready to strike down Garuda, but he put his gun down. It was a moment of uncertainty, but they realized Garuda was showing a little assertive command. He looked to Aayla, showing support. She nodded silently to him, and the group kept moving.

Aurelian started to grunt and sweat, making gurgling noises as they got closer, rustling through the trees.

"Quiet, Aurelian! We're nearly there!" Aayla squinted, and tried to look for the Merc, but could not sense him at the moment.

The sniper fired off two more shots that came close to killing Aldo and Aurelian.

The Ugnaught started to grunt and howl, bubbling obnoxious noises that would scare even the most rude Ugnaught. Everyone noticed Aurelian somehow getting taller and bulkier as the bright moon shined overhead.

"Well, I guess there's no need to hide anymore!" Aurelian grunted as he smiled bigger teeth. "Feeding on cooked meat usually helps me control my urges, but I'm afraid I'll have to break my diet tonite!" Aurelian nearly fully transformed as the group watched in horror. He tried to jump at Garudan, but faithful Beba-1 stepped in the middle. Aurelian's strength had increased exponentially as he finished transforming, and tore the droid in half.

"Uh-oh!" Beba-1 bleeped and sputtered.

"BEBA!!" Garuda yelled with despair, and fired at the beast Aurelian. The Rakghoul jumped into the brush to escape the blaster fire that trailed him.

"Great! No we have TWO creatures hunting us!" Miko panicked.

Garuda knelt down and held his loyal droid servant's upper half. The short humanoid shaped droid was not in pain, and in fact simply acknowledged his power was shutting. But for Garuda, it was the death of a long time friend that shook him.

"Master must go. Master must get to the shuttle." Beba-1 was urgent but logical.

"Aw, Beba....." the old man had seen so much death in his time, and despite the living soldiers who perished under the command he only remembered dimly from long past, retired General Garuda mournfully wished he could give of himself to save loyal Beba-1.

"Master must go...." Beba implored in a rather dull tone.

Aldo was angry with the affection "Would you get up! It's just a machine! Useless old man!"

Aayla waited, not rushing the General. She felt his remorse, but her patience was calculated. They were close to the relay, and had to keep moving now that the rakghoul revealed itself.

Skarro yelled in the distance. Aayla could hear some laser blasts, but they were not sniper rifle shots. The Merc was hunting the hunter. She also heard the Rakghoul grunts as they echoed through the forest, and she felt alarm within the Force.

"THE RAKGHOUL IS AURELIAN!! THE CREATURE IS COMING, MANDOLORIAN!!" she shouted.

 

Deep in the forest, as the night became silent, they could almost hear the Merc give a little swear word.

The Merc had doubled back to catch Maximillian's trail into the woods. Skarro was a master hunter, and traces of his movements were very hard to find in the darkness. But the Merc had the bright, full moon, and his own instincts. He caught up with Skarro about the same time as Aurelian started to change. Skarro and the Merc dueled in and out of the trees, engaged in a vicious running gun battle. The Merc hid in the trees, but Skarro would counter his moves as they slowly circled each other and kept firing their weapons at each other.

The Merc even fired a missile at the crazed hunter, but Skarro was fast. "I KNEW YOPU WOULD BE A CHALLENGE, MANDOLORIAN!!" he shouted "I knew it!" Skarro crept around for a few seconds, then fired a calculated shot, wounding the Merc, causing him to run for cover. Skarro chased him and seemed to have him cornered. But the incoming beast started stalking them both.

"It's here!" Skarro whispered, and held his gun steady.

"We've got to get to safety!" The Merc shook his head at the eccentric hunter "We're too exposed!"

"Evacuate?? In my moment of triumph??" Skarro snorted "I think you overestimate the Rakghoul's chances!"

They could hear the beast howl from within the brush, and then heard it lumber towards them in a charge! Skarro stood in its path and aimed his rifle. He hit the Rakghoul square in the chest, and stood still to aim with nerves of steel as the beast lunged at him. Skarro pulled out a wicked blade "I'll see you in Hell, Aurelian!!" The two of them tussled and wrestled. They screamed primal music as death clouded their fight. In moments, Aurelian Bach was dead.

The Merc stumbled for a second as he approached where the Rakghoul and the maniac fought in brutal hand to hand combat. Maximillian Skarro wretched the lumbered body, which looked like a grotesquely large version of Aurelian Bach, off of him. He was covered in blood.

"I got him..." Skarro actually started to shake as the adrenaline wore off "I finally got him!" he was almost dazed as he looked up at the bright moon and laughed. His laugh was a chuckle, but it elevated with a hint of madness....and then the laugh became something more as the Merc observed that not all of the blood was Aurelian's.

Some of it was Skarro's blood, from a vicious bite wound. "Tonite will be my greatest victory...." Skarro's hoarse voice was twisted in the night, with glowing eyes and teeth that seethed of animal origins. Skarro raged and frothed with a smile as he stared at the Merc.

"No. This is not happening." The merc simply stared at Skarro in disbelief and pulled out his pistols "You know, Max....if you're going to commit to revenge, be prepared to dig-"

Skarro was now transforming and rushing towards the suddenly unimpressed Mandolorian. His face became a skewed, warped version of himself as the Rakghoul virus overwhelmed his weakened body. The Merc didn't bother to finish his platitude.

"-Okay, whatever" the Merc stopped the Skarro beast dead cold in its tracks with a barrage of well aimed shots that burned through the bloodied torso of the beast. Skarro fell dead before he could get withing striking distance. The Merc looked over the mutated body of Maximillian Skarro, sighed, and made his way through the forest to find the others.

He found the tracks of the group, and soon birthed forth from the underbrush to see them in a clearing next to a large satellite relay station. Aayla's smile betrayed her inner thoughts for a second, but she was very grateful to see the Merc alive, and none the worse for wear.

Miko was there, shaking in terror, but also grateful that the hunt was over. Former General Garuda carried the lifeless parts of Beba-1, and opened a flask to take a drink in memory of his friend. Aldo Napes was sporting a black eye, a gift from Garuda after listening to one too many rants about Beba being "Just a Droid".

Overhead, the engine sounds of the shuttle percolated the air with hope and escape. I moments, it would touch down and give the weary survivors a refuge from this Nightmare world.

"Skarro?" Aayla asked.

The Merc pulled off his Mandolorian helmet and run his fingers through his hair "He lived his revenge the way he wanted."

"The shuttle is here. It's time for us to go to our respective homes." Aayla ushered the others forward, but she lingered a bit with the Merc "You never told me your name. I would have felt horrible if something had happened and....I could not meditate in your memory without your name...." she exposed a moment's vulnerability, but straightened up again.

The Merc shrugged and smiled "I'd settle for a hug over a meditation after that last encounter. A name is just a name. A hug....that lasts a lifetime." he strongly hinted. The Merc was not pressing his luck with a tasteless gesture of disrespect. He was merely grateful to be a live as much as they all were.

Aayla stifled a look to him "I don't give hugs. The jedi remove themselves from such emotional actions."

"Oh" The Merc sort of backed down "Fair enough."

In a surprise manuever, Aayla launched herself to him very quickly. She hugged him solidly. She allowed a fraction of a look into his eyes and planted a most grateful kiss upon him. It was eternal, yet it happened so fast, the Merc questioned his reality and sanity, and wondered if what just happened ever happened at all.

"I thought you just said-" he stopped as she turned and broke a smile to him and then joined the others to board the shuttle.

"Okay, whatever." he smiled back and joined her. The rare friendship was spoken with very few words as they left planet Fomor. But in their eyes, a lifetime together.


End file.
